|
DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS
OF THE 72nd SESSION OF
THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
AT BRUSSELS, BELGIUM |
DECISIONS
N° 1 BUDGET OF THE ACP SECRETARIAT
FOR 2001
N°2 ADMINISTRATIVE CHART OF
THE ACP GENERAL SECRETARIAT
N°3 STAFF REGULATIONS OF THE
ACP GENERAL SECRETARIAT
N°4 FINANCIAL REGULATIONS OF
THE ACP GROUP
N°5 EXTERNAL AUDITOR'S REPORT
FOR THE 1999 FINANCIAL YEAR
N°6 APPOINTMENT OF AN EXTERNAL
AUDITOR
N°7 ADMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC
OF CUBA TO THE ACP GROUP OF STATES
N°8 EXECUTIVE POWERS OF THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL
N°9 PREPARATIONS FOR NEGOTIATIONS OF NEW TRADING ARRANGEMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACP MINISTERIAL TRADE COMMITTEE
RESOLUTIONS
BANANAS
CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC
OF HAITI AND THE EUROPEAN UNION UNDER ARTICLE 96 OF THE COTONOU AGREEMENT
PEACE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA
DECISION No.1/LXXII/00
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
BUDGET
OF THE ACP SECRETARIAT FOR 2001
The
ACP Council of Ministers,
HAVING REGARD to the provisions
of the Georgetown Agreement and the Financial Regulations of the ACP Group;
HAVING EXAMINED the draft budget
of the ACP Secretariat for 2001 (ACP/45/038/00 Rev.1) as recommended by
the Committee of Ambassadors;
HEREBY DECIDES :
that the budget of the ACP General
Secretariat for 2001 be set at BF 337 182 000 and financed as follows
:
. Contributions of ACP States BF 163 308 000
. EDF contributions BF 141 360 000
. Tax revenue BF 30 514 000
. Reserve Fund BF 2 000 000
Done
at Brussels, 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
For the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
DECISION No. 2/LXXII/00
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
ADMINISTRATIVE
CHART OF THE ACP GENERAL SECRETARIAT
The
ACP Council of Ministers,
HAVING REGARD to the Georgetown
Agreement establishing the ACP Group ;
CONSIDERING the Staff Regulations
as set out in doc. ACP/541/79 Rev.16 ;
HAVING REGARD to Decision No.5/LXX/99
of 24 November 1999 implementing Decision No.4 of the 1st ACP
Summit ;
CONSIDERING Decision No.8/LXX1/00
of 21 June 2000 adopting, in principle, the administrative chart as set
out in document ACP/41/023/00 Rev.3 ;
HAVING EXAMINED document ACP/41/064/00
Rev.1 containing a recommendation of the Committee of Ambassadors ;
AWARE of the urgent need to
implement the reform within the Secretariat ;
HEREBY DECIDES :
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
For the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
DECISION No.3/LXXII/00
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
STAFF
REGULATIONS OF THE ACP GENERAL SECRETARIAT
The
ACP Council of Ministers
HAVING REGARD to the Georgetown
Agreement establishing the ACP Group ;
RECALLING Decision No. 4/LXXI/00
of 21 June 2000 instructing the Committee of Ambassadors to undertake a
general review of the Staff Regulations of the General Secretariat;
HEREBY DECIDES :
to adopt the Staff Regulations as set
out in Doc. ACP/57/1/79 Rev.16, based on the recommendations of the Committee
of Ambassadors.
Done at Brussels, 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
For the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
DECISION No.4/LXXII/00
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
FINANCIAL
REGULATIONS OF THE ACP GROUP
The
ACP Council of Ministers
HAVING REGARD to the Georgetown
Agreement establishing the ACP Group ;
RECALLING Decision No. 4/LXX/00
of 21 June 2000 instructing the Committee of Ambassadors to undertake a
general review of the Financial Regulations of the ACP Group ;
HEREBY DECIDES :
to adopt the Financial Regulations
as set out in Doc.ACP/029/81 Rev.15, based on the recommendations of the
Committee of Ambassadors .
Done at Brussels, 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
For the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
DECISION No.5/LXXII/00
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
EXTERNAL AUDITOR'S REPORT
FOR THE
1999 FINANCIAL YEAR
The
ACP Council of Ministers
HAVING REGARD to the Committee
of Ambassadors' progress report on the activities undertaken since the
71st session of the Council of Ministers (ACP/26/142/00 Rev.1);
HAVING NOTED that the External
Auditor has not been able to certify that the financial statements as at
31 December 1999 are a true reflection of the financial situation of the
General Secretariat;
HEREBY DECIDES :
to instruct the Committee of Ambassadors
to follow up the matter and eventually give discharge to the authorizing
officer for the 1999 financial year.
Done at Brussels, 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
For the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
DECISION No.6/LXXII/00
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
The
ACP Council of Ministers,
HAVING REGARD to Articles 17
and 18 of the Financial Regulations ;
HAVING REGARD to the Committee
of Ambassadors' progress report relating to the activities undertaken since
the 71st session of the Council of Ministers ;
HAVING NOTED that the Committee
of Ambassadors is unable to immediately recommend a firm of external auditors
;
HEREBY DECIDES :
to instruct the Committee of Ambassadors
to appoint an External Auditor at the appropriate time, for the 2000 financial
year.
Done at Brussels, 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
For the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
| ON THE ADMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC
OF CUBA AS A MEMBER
OF THE ACP GROUP OF STATES |
The ACP Council of Ministers,
RECALLING Decision No.1/LXVII/98
of the 67th Session of the Council of ACP Ministers granting
observer status to the Republic of Cuba ;
RECALLING the Santo Domingo
Declaration which, inter-alia, welcomed the wish of the CARIFORUM countries
that Cuba be a Caribbean - ACP country ;
RECALLING ALSO that the Republic
of Cuba has applied for membership of the ACP Group ;
RECALLING FURTHER that the ACP
Council of Ministers at its 71st Session decided that the Georgetown
Agreement be revised as soon as possible to facilitate, among other things,
the accession of Cuba to the ACP Group;
AWARE of the fact that the Republic of Cuba has played an active role in the activities of the ACP Group in the capacity of Observer;
TAKING NOTE of the on-going
process of revision of the Georgetown Agreement;
HEREBY DECIDES :
1. to amend the Georgetown Agreement
to provide for membership of the ACP Group of eligible states which have
not acceded to a partnership agreement between the African Caribbean and
Pacific Group of States and the European Community ;
-2-
2. to admit the Republic of Cuba as
a member of the ACP Group of States, with all the attendant rights and
obligations;
3. to instruct the Committee of Ambassadors
to reflect this decision in the finalisation of the review of the Georgetown
Agreement.
Done at Brussels, 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
For the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
DECISION No. 8/LXXII/00
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
| ON THE EXECUTIVE POWERS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL |
The ACP Council of Ministers ;
HAVING REGARD to the Georgetown
Agreement establishing the ACP Group;
CONSIDERING
the mandate of the 1st Summit of ACP Heads of State and Government
as given in Decision No. 4 on the institutional and organisational framework
of the ACP Group;
CONSIDERING Decision No. 1/LXXI/00
of the 71st session of Council on the review of the Georgetown
Agreement;
HAVING REGARD to Decision No.
4/LXXI/00 of the 71st session of Council on the review of the
Staff Regulations and Financial Regulations of the ACP Group;
CONSIDERING the final report
of the Working Group on Decision No.4 of the 1st ACP Summit,
particularly paragraphs 61 and 62 thereof;
HEREBY DECIDES :
1 to confer executive powers on the
Secretary-General as the official responsible for the running of the Secretariat.
In that regard he shall, in conformity
with the Staff Regulations and Financial Regulations referred to above,
manage the budget, the staff, and projects and programmes.
2 to vest the Secretary-General with
the authority to appoint the members of staff of the Secretariat.
The Committee of Ambassadors should
take due account of the foregoing elements in the review of the Georgetown
Agreement, the Staff Regulations and the Financial Regulations.
Brussels, 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr. HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of Trade and Industry of Namibia
for the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
DECISION No.9/LXXII/00
| PREPARATIONS FOR NEGOTIATIONS
OF NEW TRADING ARRANGEMENTS
AND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACP MINISTERIAL TRADE COMMITTEE |
The ACP Council of Ministers,
HAVING REGARD to Articles 37
and 38 of the Cotonou Agreement setting out procedures for preparation
of negotiations of the new trading arrangements and establishing the Joint
ACP-EC Ministerial Trade Committee;
CONSIDERING paragraph 12 and
section (a) of the Declaration of the 3rd meeting of the ACP
Ministers Responsible for Trade Matters set out in doc. ACP/61/093/00 Rev.5
[Final Version] .
HAVING EXAMINED AND ENDORSED
the Report of the Chairman of the 3rd meeting of the ACP Ministers
Responsible for Trade Matters;
AWARE of the urgent need to
begin preparations for negotiation of the New Trading Arrangements and
operationalise the Joint ACP-EC Ministerial Trade Committee;
HEREBY DECIDES:
a) that a comprehensive package of
preparatory actions as embodied in the Declaration be implemented by the
ACP States;
b) to mandate the Committee of Ambassadors
to examine the draft Plan of Action prepared by the Secretariat ;
c) to create the ACP Ministerial Trade
Committee composed of eighteen members;
d) that each of the six ACP regions
nominate three Ministers Responsible for Trade Matters to represent the
ACP regions in the ACP Ministerial Trade Committee, and communicate their
nominees to the General Secretariat as soon as possible ;
e) to mandate the Committee of Ambassadors
to finalise the rules of procedures for the said Committee ;
f) to mandate the ACP Ministerial Trade
Committee to consider and adopt the Plan of Action referred to in sub-paragraph
b) above ;
g) to mandate the ACP Secretariat to
undertake or coordinate effectively all the agreed upon actions as appropriate.
Done at Brussels, on 15 December 2000
Hon. Mr HIDIPO HAMUTENYA
Minister of trade and Industry of Namibia
for the President of ACP Council
of Ministers
OF THE 72ND SESSION OF THE ACP COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
HELD
IN BRUSSELS FROM 14 TO 15 DECEMBER 2000
| BANANAS |
The ACP Council of Ministers,
A. REAFFIRMING its resolution
adopted during the 71st Session of the ACP Council held in Cotonou
Benin from 20 to 21 June 2000;
B.
WHEREAS the ACP banana producers and exporters rely on the EU market
as the sole outlet for their banana exports;
C. WHEREAS this trade is only
possible because the EU's import regime regulates supply and provides the
ACP countries with a duty free and an assured market access thus enabling
the sustenance of banana trade that is crucial to their economies;
D. NOTING that the demise of
the banana industry in ACP countries would create tremendous social and
economic dislocation, eroding the achievements in the fight against poverty,
a fundamental objective of ACP-EU co-operation as enshrined in the Cotonou
Agreement;
E. CONSIDERING that the European
Commission has proposed allocation of the tariff rate quota on a 'first
come, first served' basis (FCFS) which would grant import rights to operators
on the basis of applications made at the opening of weekly or fortnightly
quota periods from vessels already at sea and that if the sub-quota is
oversubscribed, every application would be scaled down on a pro rata basis;
F. CONCERNED that an FCFS system
would result in the rapid destruction of the ACP banana industry, because
it would deprive ACP producers and exporters of security of access to the
EU market;
G. CONSCIOUS that the FCFS would
confer a massive advantage on the dominant companies trading in bananas
and that these dollar operators, handling much greater volumes with large
fleets of vessels and a number of regular ports of call, have the flexibility
to send to other markets, like Eastern Europe, volumes that fail to gain
access under the quota;
H. CONCERNED that ACP producers
do not have this flexibility;
I. CONCERNED that the proposed
tariff preference of Euro 300/tonne would not ensure access since the European
Commission has given a public assurance in the WTO that it would immediately
reduce the tariff, if it prevented access by dollar bananas;
J. CONSCIOUS that the European
Commission maintains that, should FCFS not prove feasible or acceptable,
a tariff-only system would be applied immediately;
K. CONSIDERING that a tariff-only
system would even more seriously lead to the rapid elimination of the ACP
trade in bananas ;
L. FURTHER considering that
there would need to be a tariff substantially higher than 300 Euro/tonne,
or some system of support designed to ensure a viable return;
M. AND ALSO CONSIDERING that
without quantitative restrictions or a very high tariff, imports would
inevitably increase and market prices would be driven to totally uneconomic
levels for ACP suppliers ;
N. STRESSING that only a quota
regime based on past trade would meet the EU commitment in the Cotonou
Agreement to adopt measures aimed at ensuring the continued viability of
the ACP banana export industries ;
O. AFFIRMING that this is the
form of transitional regime preferred by the Parties concerned ;
P. WELCOMING the intention of
the European Commission to permit duty free access for least developed
countries (EBA initiative) but aware that the EU banana market is already
oversupplied so that, particularly in the case of current ACP banana suppliers,
any further increases in imports could aggravate the situation that would
invariably cause further price deterioration and loss of income and market
;
Q. CONCERNED that the Special
Framework of Assistance resources to improve competitiveness for their
banana industries are, for some countries such as Cote d'Ivoire, not being
disbursed due to reasons beyond the control of the banana producers and
exporters in those countries;
CALLS
ON THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO
1. ensure that the market access conditions
guaranteed to the ACP States are not further eroded by any action in the
multilateral trading arrangements;
2. ensure that ACP countries' position
on the modification of the regime is taken into account and there is continued
consultation with the ACP countries;
3. ensure that the transition period leading to a 'tariff only' system should not be less than 10 years to enable the Community and ACP producers to adapt to a new system;
4. ensure that in devising the mechanics
of the EBA Initiative, arrangements for bananas should be made so that
there is no over-supply and that no measures are introduced which could
destabilize the market and cause further price declines ;
5. ensure that the Special Framework
Assistance resources for countries such as Cote d'Ivoire, whose cooperation
with the EU has temporarily been suspended, are retained in a reserve account
for disbursement when the situation in affected countries returns to normalcy.
| CONSULTATIONS
BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI AND THE EUROPEAN UNION UNDER ARTICLE 96 OF THE COTONOU AGREEMENT |
The
ACP Council of Ministers,
A. RECALLING the Cotonou Agreement
and its provisions on the political aspects of the ACP-EC Partnership;
B.
RECALLING specifically the consultation mechanism in Article 96 of
the Cotonou Agreement,
C. ACKNOWLEDGING that the Republic
of Haiti had accepted an invitation from the European Union to hold consultations
under Article 96 on the senatorial elections of 21 May 2000;
D. AWARE that those consultations
took place on 26 September 2000 and that the Republic of Haiti was represented
by a high level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
GIVES its full support to the
Government and people of the Republic of Haiti;
URGES the European Union to pursue the process of consultations in a fair and transparent manner and remain in constructive engagement with Haiti;
INSTRUCTS the President of the ACP Council of Ministers to bring this Resolution to the attention of the President of the EU Council and to the European Commission.
| PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA |
The
ACP Council of Ministers,
A. RECALLING the resolution
of the first session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on the
situation in Ethiopia and Eritrea;
B. HAVING REGARD to the Agreement
on cessation of hostilities signed by the Parties in Algiers (Algeria)
on 18 June 2000 under the aegis of the Organisation of African Unity;
C. HAVING REGARD to Article
XI of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement dealing with peace-building policies,
conflict prevention and resolution;
WELCOMES the signing on 12 December
2000, in Algiers (Algeria), of the peace agreement between Ethiopia and
Eritrea;
BELIEVES that this peace agreement
reflects the collective will of the leaders and governments of both countries
to turn their energies and abilities to advancing the shared needs of both
their peoples;
RECOGNISES the tireless efforts
of the Organisation of African Unity and the United Nations in bringing
about this peace treaty;
ASSURES both countries of the
continued support of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
in all their future endeavours to ensure peace, security and development
for their peoples.